Meetings and Respect - A Social Media Definition

Last week I made a statement ... If you attend a meeting or a conference and they ask you to switch off your cellphone, it's simple you are either in the wrong meeting and you are definitely in the wrong decade.

I had a few comments and I would like to respond on them:

Comment One
It is out of respect that we need to switch our phones off!

Yes indeed it is out of respect that you switch your phone off, but that is entirely your choice whether you would like to pay that much respect or not.

Let me put this into context for you, if I was meeting someone important and I choose to switch off my phone so that I can give my full attention to that person, that is indeed respect.

But when I attend a meeting, I often put my phone on silent and I will not be rude enough to take a call during the meeting, that is why we have voicemail after all.

When you ask me to switch off my phone because you think you are important that is simply just rude and you have no idea of the connected world around you, I will probably Tweet the things that I find relevant and important to the rest of the world, thus amplifying the interesting things said to my followers and that allows the message to reach the world. Powerful leverage in my eyes and by no means rude.

Comment Two
What if I am in a meeting on a plane in the air?

This was a knee jerk reaction of note ... And made by a follower who clearly thought he was very important. 

I am not saying be ridiculous, but if you need to leave the plane don't forget safety first - please use a parachute!

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net